 |
 |
 |
For those less convinced, William Hill offer top betting odds of 4/1
on Leeds to be relegated and there are a vast array of other pre-season
bets available over at sportsbooks
like Paddy Power, bet365, William Hill and the like. For example, a 'Top 10 Finish' is a 5/2 shot with BetVictor and Leeds
Utd are 16/1 at BetFred to finish top 'Without the Big 6'. There's
little doubt that Leeds need to bolster their squad going into the
new campaign, but a reported £50 million transfer budget isn't going to
stretch far in the Premier League. There will need to be some particularly
astute wheeling and dealing. Although Argentinian coach Marcelo Bielsa famously likes to work with
a small squad of players, it has to be a concern that, at the time of
writing, captain Liam Cooper is the only experienced central defender
on the club's books. With a trip to Anfield to start the new season less than three weeks
away, the pursuit of Ben White from Brighton & Hove Albion looks to have
finally come to an end, with the Seagulls having rejected three bids.
Alternative (and, in reality, additional) options that have been identified
now need to be quickly recruited. At present, several names besides White are in the frame Another option is Freiburg's 24 year-old Robin Koch, with the German's
ability to play in central defence and as a holding midfielder being an
obvious attraction. Koch would currently appear to be the preferred choice
should Leeds finally give up hope on White. Another reported target is Taylot Harwood-Bellis, Manchester City's highly-rated
18 year-old central defender. With a lack of depth at the back, he could
potentially provide great cover. There are other areas of concern in the starting XI, with doubts as to
the goalkeeping, left-back and main striker positions. However, it's surely
the heart of the defence where the main priority lies. It doesn't get much tougher than a trip to the Premier League champions
on the opening day of the season, so Bielsa will want to have his chosen
defence in place for that match if they are to pull off a surprise win
at best odds of 21/2 with 888Sport. 
Back
in the top-flight of English football after a 16-year hiatus, the priority
for Leeds United has to be
in ensuring that they now retain their place among the elite over the
coming season. The bookies seem fairly certain that Leeds will survive
their first season back in the Premier League, with bet365 bookmakers
offering odds of just 1/5 on them 'To Stay Up'.
for central defensive roles at Elland Road. Rob Holding is seemingly surplus
to requirements at Arsenal and the 24 year-old would provide Premier League
experience.